Approximately 100 volcanoes of the ancient variety, buried in the Cooper-Eromanga Basins, have been uncovered by an international team of scientists from the University of Adelaide and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Naturally, the phrase headlines have been going with is that this is an ancient "Jurassic World" of sorts, sans the franchise exhaustion that comes with such a phrase.
"While the majority of Earth's volcanic activity occurs at the boundaries of tectonic plates, or under the Earth's oceans, this ancient Jurassic world developed deep within the interior of the Australian continent," research co-author and University of Adelaide Associate Professor Simon Holford said of the find, pernews.com.au.
Despite decades of petroleum-related happenings in the region, the assortment of buried volcanoes had—prior to researchers utilizing subsurface imaging—gone "largely undetected." Researchers said this week that the volcanoes in question are estimated have developed between 180 and 160 million years ago, meaning the region would have boasted spewing ash and lava during the Jurassic era.
Formally nicknamed the Warnie Volcanic Province as a nod to beloved cricketer Shane Warne, researchers are clear on just how big of a deal this uncovering is. In fact, Holford said, these volcanic developments could mean there are other hidden worlds beneath Australia.
